Jason Wolfe

GiftCards.com

Describe your business

GiftCards.com, the highest-ranking and most-trafficked gift card website on the Internet, is the one-stop shop for gift cards online. We have the widest variety of gift cards anywhere including nationally branded gift cards, personalized Visa® and MasterCard® gift cards, Local gift cards for over 1 million merchants, e-Gift Cards, Group gift cards, and customized cobranded corporate cards. Through our API suite, we offer online merchants a white label, turnkey solution that allows them to offer a wide range of gift card content and products to their customers.

How have you impacted your industry?

Jason is self-made and an entrepreneur, having built 3 leading online businesses including GiftCards.com, MyCoupons and Direct Response Technologies. When the Internet as we know it was in its infancy, Jason had a severe accident and while recovering from spinal fusion, Jason taught himself computer programming and used his new skill to create the first online coupon site, MyCoupons, in 1995. The rest is
history.

How do you give back?

Beyond developing GiftCards.com into the leading online portal for gift cards, Jason has volunteered with three mission trips to Haiti, and has helped the Light of Life homeless shelter, delivering the Sunday service message there several times. He is also a member of YPO (Young President Organization) which connects successful young chief executives in a global network of approximately 20,000 business leaders in more than 120 countries around a shared mission: Better Leaders Through Education and Idea Exchange.

Alan Schaaf

Imgur

Describe your business

Imgur is an online community and destination consisting of the most viral image-based content on the internet. Millions of images are uploaded daily and shared across the internet. Imgur is a top 50 website in the world, top 20 in the US, and home to millions of people (Imgurians), who consume and express themselves through image-based content.

How have you impacted your industry?

Imgur has revolutionized the way images are shared on the internet (getting 4.5 Billion page views / month).

How do you give back?

Imgur has a great community of over 130 million monthly users, and it strives to give more back to the Internet than it extracts.

Dan Price

Gravity Payments

Describe your business

Gravity Payments eliminates much of the confusion, headaches and fees associated with accepting credit card payments. Founded in 2004 by SBA National Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Dan Price, at the age of 19, Gravity Payments was built upon a dedication to stand up for community business owners who are overcharged and underserved in the payment processing industry. Gravity Payments foundation of strong core value has resulted in them being among the most trusted, and fastest growing companies in the industry. Gravity Payments now serves over 11,000 independent business customers across all 50 states.

How have you impacted your industry?

Gravity Payments exists to stand up for the little guy (or gal) who is looking for their piece of the American dream. We noticed there was one major disadvantage community business owners were unknowingly coming up against - the credit card payments processing industry. Our communities small to medium sized businesses were getting taken advantage of and being overcharged by an industry with an already shifty reputation. Business owners thought they didnt have any other choice or the means to negotiate better terms. Until we found a way.

How do you give back?

We are so thankful to our community for making us who we are today. As a small gesture to payback our gratitude, were able to donate 10% of our annual profits to a charitable organization through our Gravity Gives program. But, in the pursuit of making a greater impact on our community, we wanted to take our donation process one step further. We decided to divvy up that 10% amongst the number of employees we have. Then, we give each and every employee a portion of the proceeds to donate to the charity of their choice.

Brook Eddy

Bhakti Chai

Describe your business

Dedication to social change and a passion for travel led Bhakti Chai Founder and CEO Brook Eddy to India in 2002 to research a movement based on the principles of Bhakti, or devotion through social action. Upon her return, Brook was unable to find the invigorating fresh spicy chai from her travels and began brewing her own steamy, fragrant chai. In 2007, when Brooks homemade brew gained attention (and even addiction) this single mother of twins dove into producing an artisan chai with sustainably sourced ingredients that was steeped in social change. Now, Bhakti Chai is a multi-million dollar enterprise with countless awards and accolades for not only product innovation, and building a fun, authentic brand, but for fueling a business committed to ideals that transcend just what tastes good. Bhakti Chai is still brewed with just five ingredients that are Fair Trade, Organic, NonGMO, and Vegan, while also being a certified B Corporation and donating generously to non-profits that work to empower women and girls around the world. Bhakti Chai concentrate, ready-to-drink iced chai, packaged artisan tea, and ice cream are available at Whole Foods Markets, independent grocery stores, and cafés around the country.

How have you impacted your industry?

Like its spice profile, Bhakti is bold - both in how it leads the industry in thinking about business, how it innovates and launches new products, and how it connects with consumers by being an enlightened brand. Speaking to social issues, inspiring other businesses to look beyond the bottom line to social impact, and promoting certifications like B Corp, Fair Trade, and Nongmo Verified have all positioned Bhakti Chai as a true leader in the industry and in creating the next generation of sustainable businesses.

How do you give back?

Before becoming a Certified B Corporation - Bhakti was already doing the actions of a mission driven company. Charitable contributions was not an afterthought, but built into the operating budget as a line item and directly withdrawn monthly from 5 organizations working to provide mirco-credit to women and support education program for girls globally. Locally, Bhakti has partnered with over 60 nonprofit organizations to help in their efforts to serve families, survivors, and the environment.

Chris Mittelstaedt

The FruitGuys

Describe your business

The FruitGuys is the industry leader in providing farm-fresh fruit to the American workplace. In 1998, they helped pioneer a solution to the ever-challenging workplace health crisis. The company is based on the premise that bringing healthy brain fruit to the office can boost productivity, create sustainable health changes, foster positive work environments and help companies improve bottom lines. Now more than ever, corporate America is looking to create wellness solutions in the workplace and Chris Mittlestaedt, the founder and CEO has created a movement that improves the health and lives of people all across America.

How have you impacted your industry?

By delivering farm-fresh fruit straight to peoples desks, The FruitGuys have created an extremely viable company and ultimately, a culture movement that improves the health and lives of people all across America, fosters positive work environments, helps small family run farms and farmers, and feeds those less fortunate.

How do you give back?

Through The FruitGuys, Chris helps small family run farms and has also developed several cause-related initiatives designed to support local farmers (many who are facing great challenges from Mother Nature or big Ag). The FruitGuys Community Fund was founded in 2012 to provide grants to small farms for small sustainability projects that have a large positive impact on the environment, local food systems, and farm diversity. Furthermore, through his GoodWorks program, The FruitGuys donate over 400,000 pounds of fruit to food banks across the US.